Are there an infinite number of enemies?
Just trying out WarFrame, and it seems that on most missions the number of enemies is literally infinite. Areas that I have cleared out are repopulated when I get back to them. If I don't re-clear the areas, I'm attached from behind.
Is this indeed the case - are the enemies just boring distractions? Should I just ignore them, and kill only those that stand in the way? It's not like they're actually doing that much damage anyway.
I know the tutorial is rather weak, if not outright misleading.
The answer varies depending on what's going on in the map. For the most part, enemies are unlimited. However, there are a few rules:
- In most missions, enemies have limited spawns until an alarm is activated and will continuously spawn until you turn the alarms off.
- Alarms are manual for missions versus the Grineer and Corpus, so an enemy has to run over and activate them. You can shut these alarm off by hacking the same consoles that are used to activate them.
- Alarms are automatic versus the Infested or the Corrupted, so once an enemy spots you they are on permanently.
- Excavation, Mobile Defense, Escort, Interception, and Sanctuary Onslaught always have the alarms turned on
- Defense missions have a set number of enemies per round based on the number of players in your squad.
- Special enemies are excluded from this count. Those include The Stalker, the Grugstrag Three, Zanuka Hunter, and the various Syndicate squads.
- Railjack missions generally never have alarms
- Some mission types permanently have alarms turned on once you do a certain goal
- Rescue always has alarms turned on once you free your rescue target
- Capture always has alarms turned on once the capture target sees you.
- Survival, Infested Salvage, Defection, and Disruption always have the alarms turned on once you use the console to start the mission proper
- Hijack always has the alarms turned on once you start moving the vehicle the first time
Quest missions are exempt from these rules.